Counting or reglstering apparatus



Jan. 20, 1931. t F. -w. FRANCIS ETAL 1,739,811

COUNTING OR REGISTERING APPARATUS Filed Sept. 29, 1924 2 Shoots-Sheet 1 FIG.

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Jan. 20, 1931. ,F. w. FRANCIS ETAL 1,789,811

COUNTING OR REGISTERING APPARATUS Filed Sept. 29, 1924 2 ShOOtl-Shflt 2 LRRL/ M Inuenlur FredsmcLJ. Franms LJIU am Ermckshank Patented Jan. 20, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE FREDERIC WILLIAM FRANCIS AND WILLIAM CRUICKSHANK, OF LONDON, ENGLAND, ASSIGNORS TO ASSOCIATED TELEPHONE AND TELEGRAPH COMPANY, OF CHICAGO,

ILLINOIS COUNTING OR REGISTERING APPARATUS Application filed September 29, 1924, Serial No. 740,630, and in Great Britain October 31, 1923.

The general object of the present invention is to provide means for counting events which occur either at the same or atdiflerent instants of time, in a number of different cations, and broadly considered the invention consists in providing at each location where the events must take place successively, an arrangement by which each event is caused to bring about a physical change in the condition of a storage device, the counting or registerixr; device being brought successively under the influence of the various storage devices to cause the events stored thereon to be registered or counted, and to restore its storage devices back to their normal positions.

In a preferred form the event is caused to close an electrical circuit whereby an electrical'impulse is produced which serves to store a charge in a condenser, a high speed rotary -distributor or its equivalent being arranged to successively bring into connection with the stored condensers a counting device which is operated for each condenser discharge, and by arranging that only one event can take place at each location during the interval between successive connections of the condenser with the counting device by the rotary distributor it is possible to register all the events which take place.

Apparatus of this kind may conveniently be used in telephone exchanges for the totalizing of the calls that have passed through the exchange during given periods of time, or for determining the number of switches or other apparatus which are in use at a given instant of time.

For the purpose of arranging the staff in telephone exchanges to meet adequately the demands of the traffic which varies considerably from hour to hour, records have to be made of the number of calls made by the subscribers at certain periods during the day; one method of doing this has been by taking simultaneous readings of the registers associated with the various telephone operators positions at the beginning and at the end of the required period and adding the totals indicated by the differences in the readings of the individual registers to obtain the number of calls made in the whole of the exchange during that time. This method is laboriousand costly, as it necessitates the employment of several observers to read the registers which are constantly being operated, and involves a considerable amount of clerical work to calculate the sum of the readings.

By the use of the present invention the total number of calls may be read from one master register. One arrangement of carrying the invention into effect will be described by way of example, although it will be understood that considerable modification may be made in the constructional details or in the applications of the invention, for instance the invention may be employed to determine the trafiic at individual groups of switches in automatic exchanges or to count the traffic on the whole of an automatic exchange. This traffic could be counted for different periods of the day or for any selected period, such as the busy hour, by taking readings at the beginning and the end of the period selected, or if a very rapid connection to storage devices at different parts of the exchange is made, for instance within a second period approximately instantaneous trafiic may be determined.

In the drawings Fig. 1 shows the general layout, while Figs. 2 and 3 show alternatives. In Fig. 1 the relays PM, R1, R2, and condenser C represent equipment provided individual to each operators position. The remaining apparatus rotary distributor RD, polarized relay PR, indicating device ID, relay DR and meter M are common to the whole exchange or to a group of operators positions, if the capacity of the distributor RD is insufficient to have access to all the equipments provided individual to each operators position in an exchange.

The arrangement shown in Fig. 1 relates to a manual exchange in which at each operators position, a position meter is provided 95 which operates each time a connection is set up. This position register has been found to be operated at intervals which are always greater than a second, so that two successive operations of the same register will be separated at an interval of at least one second. When the o erator presses her key, the pos1- tion meter I M is operated in known manner and closes a circuit of the meter lamp. in the usual way.

Connected to the meter lamp circuit are two relays R1 and R2 which both energize in the following circuit: earth, armature and front contact 10, relay R1 in parallel with back contact 11 and armature of relay R1 and relay R2, the circuit being completed to the negative pole of battery, and thence to earth. In this circuit both relays R1 and R2 ener 'ze, but due to the opening ofcontact 11, 2 immediately falls away, R2 in energizing completes a circuit from condenser C to the negative pole of a battery over 1ts front contact 12. Condenser C thereupon receives a charge and on the de-energization of relay R2 it is connected to an insulated segment 13' of a rotary distributor RD. This rotary distributor may be of any known form, such as a pre-selector as used in multiplex machine telegraphs, but in a preferred form consists of a large number of insulated segments, such as 13, wiped over by a brush driven by an electric motor, preferably at a speed so that it makes one complete revolution per second. Each of the insulated segments is connected to a back contact of a relay operated similar to R1 and R2 at the different operators positions. The brush of the rotary distributor is connected in a circuit including a polarized relay PR shunted by a condenser C1 and connected to earth at its other terminal. The brush 15 in rotating engages with contacts, such as 13, and if a charge is stored on the condenser such as C, due to the meter key having been operated, this condenser C will discharge through the following circuit: armature and resting contact 14 of relay R2, segment 13, brush 15, winding of relay PR and condenser C1 in parallel to earth. Condenser C thereupon immediately discharges itself causing thereby the operation of the relay PR. This transference of charge is assisted by the presence of the condenser G1 which enables the discharge to take place in known manner very rapidly, as is essential due to the fact that the'wiper 15 is only in connection with the segment 13 for a very short instant of time. The relay PR energizesand as the discharge expends itself, returns to its normal position, being biased so as to take up the position shown in the drawing. The effect of its armature moving to the right is to complete a circuit for the left hand winding 0 an electromagnetically controlled counting device as follows: negative pole of battery, armature and contact 17 of the polarized relay PR, right hand winding of indicating device ID to earth. The indicating device causes its armature to move to the right thereby advancing the dial D one half step. When the charge across the polarized relay has dissipated, the armature of the relay restores to its normal position closing the contact 16, whereupon a circuit is completed for the left hand winding of the indicating device ID as follows; negative pole of battery, armature and left hand contact 16 of the polarized relay PR, left hand Winding of the indicating device ID to earth. The indicating device thereupon moves its armature to the left and the dial is caused to rotate another half step, making in all one v complete step corresponding to the engagement of the brush 15 with a charged condenser. It will thus be appreciated that every call made at a position causes the charging of a condenser such as C. This charge is collected once per second and for each charge made by the brush 15 the dial D is advanced one step. If the operator should keep her key pressed too long, nothing can happen as the condenser C cannot get recharged until the relay Rl has de-energized to permit the relay R2, to again energize. If two keys of different positions are pressed simultaneously, the condenser C at each position is charged and both these will be counted successively due to the brush 15 engaging successively the segments with which these charged condensers are connected. The dial D is provided with a fleeting contact 18 arranged to close a circuit for each revolution of the dial. The expression fleeting contact means a contact closed momentarily due to the movement of the dial to distinguish from a contact which remains closed after being once operated. Each time this contact is closed a double wound relay DR is energized in the following circuit: earth, contact 18, left hand winding of relay DR to negative pole of battery. Relay DR be ing excited in only one winding pulls up and closes a contact 19. The relay DR thereupon locks up in the following circuit: earth, battery, right hand winding of relay DR, contact 19, meter M to earth. Meter M energizes also in this circuit and advances one step. When its armature has advanced sufficiently far so as to make an effective registration, the right hand winding of relay DR is short circuited at contact 20. Relay DR thereupon de-energizes and opens the circuit of the meter M which restores to normal in readiness to register the next closure of the contact. Conveniently the dial would be provided with 100 teeth, so that the meter M each time it registered would indicate 100 calls. It will be understood that the inven tion is not limited to the particular form shown in Fig. 1 of the drawing, for instance alternative arrangements may be provided for giving a momentary impulse, for instance as shown in Fig. 2 relays R1 and R2 are connected in series and relay R1 short circuits the relay R2 when energized. Again a conergized on one impulse and is de-energized when the brush connects up the segment; the current which causes its de-energization also causes the energization of relay PR. Also the indicating deviceneed not be of the exact type illustrated which represents a polarized differentially wound device similar to that in Wheatstone A. B. C. telegraph instrument modified in such a manner that the dial is divided to read the actual number of impulses received instead of the usual characters required in telegraphy, for instance any such speed registering device could be provided in its place such as the meter M, provided of course that the speed of operation was such that it would reliably 0 erate in the interval of time between the rush 15 passing from one contact segment to the next.

, This proviso could be limited very considerably if the speed of the brush 15 could be reduced.

What is claimed is 1. A registering appartus for determining the number of independent events which take place at a large number of different locations either simultaneously or successively comprising a plurality of members one at each location adapted to respond each time an event takes place at that location without themselves exerting any control as to when the event may take place, a plurality of storage devices, one of which is associated with each location, and in which a,- removable physical change is brought about on each event occurring at that location, a registering device common to all said stora e devices, a cyclically operated device adapted to bring the registering device in turn under the influence of the various storage devices to cause all the physical changes produced therein during any complete cycle to be registered, and the storage devices to restore to normal condition.

2. A registering apparatus for determining the number of independent events which take place at a large number of different 10- cations either simultaneously or successively comprising a plurality of members one at each location adapted to respond each time an event takes place without themselves exerting any control as to when the event takes place, a plurality of storage devices adapted to respond to one physical change only, one of which is associated with each member and in which a removable physical change is brought about on each event occurring at that location, a registering device common to all said storage devices and a cyclically operated device adapted to bring the registering device under the influence of the various storage devices at regular periods of time less in duration than the interval which elapses before successive events can take place at an location to cause any physical change pro need in any storage device during each period to be registered, and the storage device to restore to normal condition. 3. A registerin apparatus for determining the number 0 independent events which take place at a large number of different 10- cations either simultaneously or successively, comprising a plurality of members one at each location adapted to respond each time an event takes place without themselves exerting any control as to when the event takes place, a plurality of electrical impulse producing devices one of which is associated with each member and adapted to generate impulses for each event occurring at that location, a storage device individual to each electrical impulse producing device by which the impulses are registered, a registering device common to all said storage devices and a cyclically operated device adapted to bring the registering device in turn under the influence of the various storage devices to cause all the electrical impulses registered thereon during any complete cycle to be registered.

4. A registerin apparatus for determining the number 0 independent events which take place at a large number of different 10- cations either simultaneously or successively comprising a plurality of members one at each location adapted to respond each time an event takes place without themselves exerting any control as to when the event takes place, a plurality of electrical impulse producing devices one of which is associated with each member and is adapted to generate an impulse for each event occurring at that location, a storage device individual to each electrical impulse producing device adapted to register one impulse only as received from the electrical impulse producing device, a registering device common to all said storage devices and a cyclically operated device adapted to bring the registering device in turn under the influence of the various storage devices in periods of time less than the interval which elapses before successive events take place at any location to cause any electrical impulses which may be recorded on any storage device during each period of s place, a plurality ofstorage devices adapted to generate electric impulses on restoring to normal, one of which is associated with each member and in which a physical change,

is brought about on eachevent occurringat that location, an electrical registering device common to all saidstorage devices and a cyclically operated device adapted to bring the registering device in turn under the influence of impulses generated by the storage devices on restoring to normal to cause all the physical changes produced thereon during any complete cycle to be registered.

6. A registerin apparatus for determinin the number 0 independent events which ta 'e place at a large number of different 10- cations either simultaneously or successively comprising a plurality of members one at each location adapted to respond each time an event takes place without themselves e'xerting any control as to when the event takes place, a plurality of electrical impulse producing devices" one of which is associated with each member andis adapted to generate an impulse on each event occurring at that location, a storage device individual to each electrical impulse producing device adapted to temporarily respond to and register a single impulse generated by said electrical impulse producing device, an electrical registering device common to all said storage devices, and a cyclically operated device adapted to bring the registering device in turn into electrical connection with the various storage devices so as to cause the storage devices to restore to normal condition at the same time as the registeringdevice is operated to register any impulses which may be registered during any complete cycle.

7. A registering apparatus for determining the number of independent events which take place at a large number of different 10- cations either simultaneously; or successively comprising a plurality of members one at each location adapted to respond each time an event takes place without themselves exerting any control as to when the event takes place, a plurality of condensers one'of which is associated with each member and adapted to be charged on an event occurring at that location, an electrically operated registering device common to all said condensers'and a cyclically operated device adapted to electrically connect said registering device in turn with said condensers so as to cause them to discharge and at the same time register the number of charges produced in the various condensers during any complete cycle.

8. A registering apparatus for determining the number of independent events which take place at a large number of diflerent locations either simultaneously or successively comprising a plurality of members one at each location adapted to respond each time an event takes place without themselves exerting any control as to when the event takes place, a plurality of electrical impulse 'pro ducing devices one of'which is associated with each member and is adapted to generate an impulse for each event occurring at that location, a condenser also individual to said location, and ada ted to be charged by impulses generated producing device, an electrical registering device common to all said condensers and rotary distributor adapted to connect said registering device in turn to said condensers whereby the condensers are discharged and the number of charged condensers during any complete cycle registered. I

9. An arrangement for bringing about a single physical change in a storage device for any event which takes place whatsoever its duration comprising a relay, an electrical circuit, contact members in said circuit adapted to be operated each time an event takes place, a relay in said circuit, a second relay in said circuit, and means controlled by said first relay for rendering said second re- 7 lay ineiiective when said circuit is closed, so that said second relay is only momentarily operated to transmit a current to the storage device independently of the length of time the electrical circuit is closed.

10. An arrangement for bringing about a single physical change in a storage device for any event which takes place whatsoever its duration, comprising an electrical circuit,

contact members in said circuit adapted to be operated each time an event takes place, a relay in said circuit, a second relay in said circuit, said relays being adaptedto be op:

y said electrical impulse erated together each time the contact members are operated, said first relay being-adapted to open the circuit of said second relay and to be maintained operated to prevent said second relay being again energized-as long as the electrical circuit is closed.

11. A registering apparatus for registering approximately all the independent events.

which take place at a given time in a number of different locations, comprising a device associated with each location and adapted to electrically change its condition while an event is taking place at that location without in any way affecting the time when an event takes place, a registering device, an electromagnet, a condenser connected across the terminals of said electromagnet and a high speed distributor adapted to bring said electromagnet into electrical connection with said first mentioned devices successively in a very short interval of time so that each device whose electrical condition is changed is enabled to operate said electromagnet and thereby cause the registering device to register approximately the number of devices whose condition has changed at any particular instant.

. 12. A registering apparatus for determining the number of independent events which ta e place 'at a lar number of difierent locations either simu taneously or successively comprising a lurality of members one at each location a apted to respond each time an event takes place without themselves exerting any control as to when the event takes place, a plurality of storage devices adapted to generate electric impulses on restoring to normal one of which is associated with each member and in which a physical change is brought about on each event occurring at that location, an electrical registering device common to all said storage devices, a relay shunted by a condenser for controlling said registering device and a cyclically operated device adapted to bring the relay in turn under the influence of impulses generated by the storage devices on restoring to normal to cause all the physical changes produced thereon during any complete cycle to be registered.

13. A registeringapparatus for determining the number of independent events which take place at a large number of different locations either simultaneously or successivel comprising a plurality of members one at eac location ada ted to respond each time an event takes p ace without themselves exerting any control as to when the event takes place, a plurality of devices adapted to generate electric impulses on restoring to normal one of which is associated with each member and, in which a physical change is brought about on each event occurring'at that location, an electricalrregistering device common to all said storage devices, a polarized relay having a biased armature shunted by a condenser for controlling said re istering device and a cyclically operated device adapted to bring the relay in turn under the influence of impulses generated' by the storage devices on restoring to normal to cause all the physical changes produced thereon during any complete cycle to be registered.

14. A registering apparatus for determin- 1n the number of independent events which tafie place at a large number of different locations either simultaneously or successively comprising a plurality of members one at each location adapted to respond each time an event takes place without themselves exerting any control as to when the event takes place, a plurality of storage devices one of which is associated with each member and in which a physical change is brought about on each event occurring at that station, a step by step mechanism of small inertia controlled by a polarized magnet, and a cyclically operated device adapted to bring the registering device in turn under the influence of the various 'storage devices to cause all the physical take place at a large number of difierent locations either simultaneously or successively comprising a plurality of members one at each location ada ted to respond each time an event takes p ace without themselves exerting any control as to when the event takes place, a plurality of storage devicesadaptcd to respond to one physical change only, one of which is associated with each member and in which a removable physical change is brought about on each event occurring at that location, a step by step mechanism of small inertia controlled by a polarized magnet and a cyclically operated device adapted to bring the registering device underthe influence of the various storage devices at regular periods of time less in duration than the interval which elapses before successive events can take place at any location to cause any physical change produced in any storage device during each period to be registered, and the storage device to restore to normal condition.

16. A registering apparatus for registering approximately all the events which take place at a given time in a number of different locations, comprising a plurality of devices one of which is associated with each location and is adapted to respond to a physical change While an event is taking place at that location without in any way affecting the time when an event takes place, a step by step mechanism of small inertia controlled by a polarized magnet so as to respond to rapidly recurring impulses, and a high speed distributor adapted to bring said counting device under the influence of said first mentioned device successively in avery short interval of time so that the number of devices corresponding to a physical change at any particular instant are registered approximately.

17. A registering apparatus for determining the number of independent events which ta e place at a large number of different locations either simultaneously or successively comprising aplurality of members one at each location adapted to respond each time 'an event takes place without themselves exerting any control as to when the event takes place, a plurality of storage devices one of which is associated with each member in which a physical change is brought about on each event occurring at that station, a step by step mechanism of small inertia controlled by a polarized magnet so as to respond to rapidly recurring impulses including a toothed wheel, a fleeting contact adapted to be closed by said toothed wheel once per revolution and a meter in a circuit of said fleeting contact adapted to register the number of revolutions of said toothed wheel, and" a cyclically operated device adapted to bring the registering device in turn under the influence of the various storage devices to cause all the physical changes produced therein through any complete cycle to be registered. 3

18. A registering apparatus for determinin the number of independent events which ta e place at a large number of diflerent locations either simultaneously or successively comprising a plurality of members one at each location adapted to respond each time an event takes place without themselves exerting any control as to when the event takes place, a plurality of storage devices adapted to respond to one physical change only, one of which is associated with each member and in which a removable physical change is brought about on each event occurring at that location, a step by step mechanism of small inertia controlled by a polarized ma et so as to respond to rapidly recurrin impulses including a toothed wheel, a fleetlng contact adapted to be closed by said toothed wheel once per revolution, a meter in circuit with said fleeting contact adapted to register the number of revolutions, and a cyclically operated device adapted to bring the registering device under the influence of the various storage devices at regular periods of time less in duration than the interval which elapses before successive events can take place at any location to cause any physical change produced in any storage device during each period to be registered, and the storage device to restore to normal condition.

19. A registering apparatus for registering approximately all the events which take lace at a given time in a number of diferent locatlons, comprising a plurality of devices, one of which is associated with each location and is adaptedto respond to a physical change while an event is taking place at that location without in any way affecting the time when an event takes place, a step by step mechanism of small inertia controlled by a polarized magnet so as to respond to rapidly recurrin impulses including atoothed wheel, a eeting contact adapted to be closed by said toothed wheel once er revolution, a meter in circuit with said eeting contact and adapted to register the number of revolutions, and a high speed distributor adapted to bring said counting device under the influence ofsaid first mentioned device successively in a very short interval of time so that the number of devices corresponding to a physical change at any particular instant are approximately registered by said registering device.

20. A registering apparatus for determin, ing the number of independent events which take place at a large number of difierent locations either simultaneously or successively comprising a plurality of members one at each location adapted to respond each time an event takes place without themselves exerting any control as to when the event takes place, a plurality of storage devices adapted to respond to one physical change only, one of which is associated with each member and in which a removable physical change is brought about on each event occurring at that location, a step b step mechanism of small inertia controlle by a polarized magnet so as to respond to rapidly recurring impulses including a toothed wheel, a fleeting contact adapted to be closed by said toothed wheel once er revolution, a meter in circuit with said fleeting contact adapted to register the number of revolutions,-and a sensitive relay in the circuit of said fleeting contact and a locking circuit for said relay which is opened when the meter armature is moved a predetermined extent, and a cyclically operated device adapted to bring the registering device under the influence of the various storage devices at regular periods of time less in duration than the interval which elapses before successive events can take place at any location to cause any physical change produced in any storage device during each period to be registered, and the storage device to restore to normal condition.

21. A registering apparatus for determining the number of times a circuit is independently completed at different operators positions whether simultaneously or successively comprising a plurality'of apparatus associated with each operators position adapted to be operated independently of the operation of the registering or counting apparatus, each apparatus including a circuit, a contact member in said circuit adapted to be operated by the operator for each connection she establishes, two relays in said circuit adapted to be energized when said circuit is closed, contact members controlled by one relay which is energized as long as contact members are closed for causing the second relay to de-energize, contacts controlled by said second relay, a condenser in circuit with said contacts adapted to be charged when said second relay is energized and to be connected to a back contact whensaid relay de-energizes, a high speed rotary distributor common to all sa1d apparatus having a brush wiping over a number of contact segments, each of which are connected to bank contacts of the second mentioned relay associated with each operators position, a polarized relay having a biased armature, a condenser shunting said polarized relay and connected in a circuit including a wiper of said rotary distributor, so that the polarized relay causes its armature to make a complete movement for each contact the wiper engages corresponding to a charged condenser, an indicating device including a polarized stepping movement, of small inertia, adapted to make one complete step for each complete movement of the armature of said polarized relay, a fleeting contact adapted to be operated once per revolution by a toothed w eel included in the step by step mechanism, a differential relay in the same circuit as said fleetin contact and adapted to be energized each time the fleeting contact was operated, a meter ada ted to have its circuit closed each time the re ay is operated, and contacts controlled by said meter completing a circuit for the second winding of said differential relay to cause it to deenergizewhen the armature of said-meter has moved to a position to ensure correct registration.

22. A totalizing system comprisin a plurality of meter impulse senders, a p urality of. condenser-charging irelays" responsive thereto and a collector switchfor discharging the condensers charged by said relays successively through a totalizing device.

23. A totalizing system comprisin a plurality of meter impulse senders, re ays responsive to said senders for connecting condensers to a potential source, when energized, and a collector switch for successively discharging said condensers through a totalizing device.

- 24. A totalizing system comprising a plurality of meter impulse senders, a condenser and a relay associated with each sender and a collector switch, said relays being adapted, when energized, to connect said condensers to a charging source and, when deenergized, to connect the condensers to a totalizing device through the collector switch, whereby the condensers may be successively discharged through said totalizing device.

In testimony whereof we affix our signatures.

FREDERIC W. FRANCIS. WILLIAM CRUIGKSHANK. 

